This invention relates generally to an ultrasonic diagnostic tool, and more specifically to a portable (handheld) ultrasonic 3-D imaging device for dental applications.
A dentist diagnosing a dental condition often relies on subjective data such as patient complaints, intraoral visual examination results, and results of selective physical probing. Unfortunately, this information is non-quantitative and relies heavily on dentist skill and experience.
Information about internal dental formations (tooth microanatomy) is useful for many reasons. For example, information about internal dental formations, such as distances to the enamel/dentine and dentine/pulp interfaces from the tooth surface, helps the dentist plan treatment. Measurements taken during drilling and other tooth processing techniques without significant interruption of the treatment process facilitate controlling the distance from the drill tip to internal structures of the tooth, (e.g., pulp). Monitoring the bond between restoration material and tooth tissue can identify failed bonds, which can cause caries or cavities in the interface between restoration material and tooth tissue (e.g., dentine). Monitoring the bond between a dental crown and the tooth also facilitates detecting and locating flaws, which can decrease the strength of the restored tooth or lead to caries or cavities under the crown.
Imaging systems, such as conventional X-ray diagnostics, often fail to provide comprehensive results. More sophisticated imaging systems, such as Optical-Coherent Tomography, Cone-Beam Tomography or Terahertz Pulse Imaging, are costly and complex. Further, as is known, the enamel and dentine layers that cover the pulp are irregularly shaped. Measurements of these layers with existing imaging systems are often inaccurate, especially around corners and inside restoration areas, due to internal dental formation interfaces being at a non-zero angle relative to the tooth surface.